Course Overview

COURSE DETAILS

The first crucial step to developing as a referee

The FA Referees Course is designed for anyone aged 14 and up who wants to join the tens of thousands of referees who operate week in week out on local parks, throughout the English football pyramid, up to those who officiate The FA Cup Final and on the International stage. As a referee you play an integral role in ensuring all participants enjoy their match day experience, helping create a competitive, fair, safe and enjoyable playing environment.

Whether you want to referee in youth and adult leagues, men's or womens football or have aspirations of one day walking the ball out at Wembley Stadium, The FA Referees Course is the starting point for your refereeing career. Refereeing is not only rewarding in a football environment, but the social and life skills that come from becoming a referee extend far beyond your initial expectations.

Respect

Empathy

Fitness

Evaluation

Reliability

Education

Excellence

These seven core values underpin all aspects of English refereeing and are all required from the start of your refereeing journey.

Once you have qualified as a referee, there is extensive support available through both your County FA and The FA, helping you to be the best you can be and fulfill your potential as a referee.

Block 1 - Introduction to Refereeing and Pre-Course Activity

Overview of course expectations and commitments

Basic outline of the Laws of the Game to provide an initial understanding

Introduction to the DNA of English Refereeing and the process of completing the course

Block 2-4 - Practical and Theory

A mixture of practical and theoretical referee training, focusing on the key skills and techniques required to be a referee. This is then coupled with the practical application of law and the different scenarios that can be faced in a game. Some of the topics covered are; Signals & Communication, Fouls & Misconduct and Positioning & Movement.

Upon completion of Unit 4, a practical Evaluation of Performance and Assessment Of Knowledge is completed to ensure you are ready for Unit 5.

Block 5 - Refereeing Experience

Officiating five 11v11 or 9v9 games, where you are offered a referee mentor to support you on your first few games, with a self evaluation of each game.

Block 6 - Reflection, Final Examination and Next Steps

Call back session where there is the opportunity to share experiences on the five games refereed, what has worked well and what you might do differently in the future. A final Laws of the Game Examination and information on what happens now and what opportunities are available i.e. Promotion, Academies, Development Groups, In-Service Training etc.

Course Pre-requisites

Before starting Block 5, a Safeguarding Children Workshop and Criminal Records Check (if applicable) must be completed.

Please Note: This course should not be booked on behalf of another person (i.e. a parent/carer on behalf of a child). All booking forms must be completed by the individual who will be completing the course.

Outcomes

The FA Referees Course provides participants with an insight to the laws of the game and their practical application on the field of play. It also looks at the skills required to be a referee.

Candidates should feel comfortable to referee a game of football at the completion of the course, with 75% of the course being in a practical environment.

Available Dates

Unfortunately there are no available dates.

Cancellation

Should a candidate need to cancel their place on a course for any reason, the following criteria will apply:

More than 14 days notice – Full refund less a £10 administration charge

14 days or less notice – 50% of course cost returned or transfer available for a surcharge of £10.

7 days or less notice – No refund is returned, only transfer available for a surcharge of £10.

Transferring Onto A Different Course

Candidates wishing to transfer to another course more than 14 days prior to the commencement date will incur the following cost:

An administration fee of £10 will be charged.

Want to find out more?

Here are some answers to your frequently asked questions:

Can I book a place on behalf of others?

Unfortunately not. Each individual learner is required to book their place using their own FAN and Password. This is to ensure our information on medical conditions, emergency contacts etc is accurate and up to date. The booking agreement is always between Staffordshire FA and the individual learner.

Can I miss any days of the course and make them up at a later date?

No, learners are required to attend all dates and times associated to the course they have booked onto. Failure to attend all dates and times will result in non-qualification and individuals will need to book and pay to attend the course again in full to become certificated.

Can I reserve a place or pay in installments?

We are unable to reserve places or take part payments for any of our courses. Bookings are taken on a first come first served basis from online registration where full payment is required.

Can you contact me when a course or space on a course becomes available?

We do not operate a waiting list for any of our courses or notify individuals of new courses being added or spaces becoming available. Places are taken on a strict first come first served basis.